Border Information: If you are joining in Arba Minch, you will most likely enter Ethiopia at Arba Minch Airport (IATA code: AMH). Welcome to Ethiopia! Today is the arrival day for those joining in Arba Minch, and will be a free day to explore the town. There will be a short informal meetand-greet with our local Omo Valley guide at 6:00pm today - please note that if our truck is travelling up from Nairobi, you will not meet our regular Dragoman crew until your arrival in Konso tomorrow (as they will be travelling to the town of Moyale today). In Arba Minch we will stay in a basic local hotel. Hotel for the night: Zebib Pension Zebib Pension Secha Arba Minch Ethiopia Tel - +251 4688 14788  About Arba Minch: Meaning 'forty springs', Arba Minch takes its name from the streams found between the two Rift Valley lakes of Abay...

Today we will travel to Konso, home to the local Konso people and our gateway to the very remote Omo Valley region of southern Ethiopia. If our overland truck is travelling up from Nairobi, those joining in Arba Minch will take a transfer in a locally-chartered vehicle, and will meet our Dragoman crew this afternoon in Konso - there will be an important group meeting with your leader at 6:00pm this evening Estimated Drive Time - 3-5 hours (please note that all drive times given here are the approximate number of hours that the truck will be in motion only, and does not include any time taken for coffee or lunch stops, border crossings, photo stops, activities en route, comfort breaks, shopping stops, toilet stops, etc. The times given are approximate estimates only and whilst given with the best of intentions, the drive time...

" Day 3 to 5 " Over the next 4 days/3 nights we will be exploring the remote and rarely visited tribal areas of the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia. We will keep these days on a flexible itinerary so that we can react to news of special events being hosted by particular villages or tribes; as such, we cannot provide an exact itinerary for these days. However, we will aim to visit various tribal villages in the area, such as villages of the Hamer, the Mursi and the Konso tribes. We will camp in basic campsites on all these nights without possibility of upgrades, and we will try to spend at least one of the nights camping in one of the tribal villages (this is not guaranteed to be possible on every trip). Estimated Drive Times - between 4-9 hours each day. Please note that we will be travelling through very remote areas w...

Today we will exit the Omo Valley region and arrive in the town of Arba Minch, a small town overlooking Lake Chamo. In Arba Minch we will stay in a basic local hotel. Estimated Drive Time - 6-7 hours.  OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES  Hire bicycles to explore the stunning surrounds of Arba Minch : ETB 200 Take a boat trip on Lake Chamo, a stunning lake with a dense population of crocodiles : ETB 450 Visit the fascinating village of Chincha to learn all about the culture of the Dorze people : ETB 100

On the next day, we will have a free day for some well-earned rest after the Omo Valley, or to take an optional boat trip on Lake Chamo to the view the crocodiles that reside there. 

" Day 8 to 9 " Today we will head north to the small town of Awassa, where we will visit the Awassa Children's Project in the afternoon. This is a home for local children orphaned by the HIV epidemic, and we will be shown around and see how public donations and the support of Dragoman goes towards feeding, sheltering and educating the children. After our visit we will head to Wendo Genet, a small town in the hills above Awassa, where we will stay for the 2 nights. Estimated Drive Time - 7-9 hours. On the following day we will have a a free day to explore the region, go on an optional walk to some nearby waterfalls, and take a dip in the nearby hot springs. In Wendo Genet we will camp in the grounds of a small local hotel INCLUDED ACTIVITIES  Visit the Dragoman-supported Awassa Children's Project, a home for orphaned ...

" Day 10 to 12 " Today we will leave Wendo Genet and drive to the stunning Bale Mountains National Park. Estimated Drive Time - 4-6 hours. We will enjoy 2 full days to explore the National Park. We will keep one day completely free to head out for optional guided walks - there are several possibilities for routes, including highland routes up the hills and moorlands searching for mountain nyalas, or lowland walks through the forest areas to look for Bale monkeys! On the other day we will drive in the truck up to the Sanetti Plateau, all the way to the second-highest point in Ethiopia (the 4359m summit of Tulu Dimtu) to explore the primeval landscape and search for Ethiopian wolves. In the Bale Mountains we will stay in dorms in a basic lodge near the entrance to the National Park.  INCLUDED ACTIVITIES  Head out on va...

Today we will leave the Bale Mountains and head to the small town of Ziway. After lunch we will take an included boat trip across Lake Ziway to Tulu Gudo Island, where we will have a short guided tour of the ancient monastery there and view some of the old religious manuscripts. In Ziway we will stay in a small local hotel. Estimated Drive Time - 4-5 hours.  INCLUDED ACTIVITIES  Take a boat trip across Lake Ziway to Tulu Gudo Island, and explore the old Coptic monastery on the island : Included in Kitty About Lake Ziway: Lake Ziway, about 100kms south of Addis Ababa, nurtures an array of wildlife. Birds, hippopotamuses and fish roam the lake, which is dotted with five islands. One of the islands, Tulo Gudo, is home to an atmospheric and colourful old Coptic Christian monastery which is said to have housed the Ark of ...

Today we will travel to the bustling Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, where we will have a free afternoon to explore the city. In Addis Ababa we will stay in a comfortable hotel with good facilities. Estimated Drive Time - 3-4 hours. About Addis Ababa: Referred to more commonly as simply "Addis", the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa lies amongst wooded hills at an altitude of about 2,300 metres, giving it a pleasant climate. Addis has many sights to offer visitors - get a fascinating glimpse into Ethiopia's many tribal groups at the Ethnological Museum, see the stunning fossil collection at the National Museum, and don't miss the chaotic bustle of the Mercato, one of Africa's largest open-air markets. All manner of arts and crafts can be found in the souvenir shops on Churchill Avenue, and there is often some excellent l...

Border Information: if you are leaving in Addis Ababa, you will most likely exit Ethiopia from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (IATA code: ADD). Today is the end day for passengers finishing their trip in Addis Ababa. Please note there is no accommodation included on the trip tonight - please contact the Dragoman Sales team if you are interested in booking extra nights of accommodation in order to fully explore and take part in some of the optional activities listed below.  OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES  Visit "Lucy", one of the oldest complete hominid skeletons ever found, at the National Museum : ETB 10 Stroll through the Addis Ababa Mercato, one of the largest markets in Africa : Free Visit Africa Hall, a symbol of African independence and optimism : Free Visit the St. George's Cathedral (Giorgis Cathedral), built to...